Subsidence is the slow gradual sinking of a section of land or property. Properties move naturally at very minute speeds, as a result, normal movement is not easily noticed and usually caused no harm to a property. Subsidence, however, is a quicker moving of ground in a downward projection. This shift in property position causes negative effects on properties from cracking of wall plaster to loss of structural integrity.

Causes of Subsidence

There are many factors in property subsidence, a large majority of properties that suffer from subsidence are suffering from many different causes. This is due to the fact that these causes by themselves do not harm the property enough to cause this type of event. These causes range from sustained dry weather to tree location to a property and range in severity.

Age Of Construction

The age of the property is a large factor to its vulnerability to subsidence. This is due to the craftsmanship and materials used during its construction. Every decade new materials are utilised or created and used in property construction. Building standards also change every year. These ranges of materials all have different vulnerabilities as well as standards in which they must be used. The construction age of a property will determine the materials and standards used.

An example of this is that properties built before 1965 were constructed with shallow foundations in comparison to modern foundations. A shallow property foundation cannot hold the weight of the property over an extended period of time. This causes a shift in property position alongside a weakened structure, this all could lead to subsidence.

Weather

The weather can impact subsidence. Areas that get consistent dry weather and areas that are having a long dry spell are more susceptible. This is because dry climates cause the soil to contract by lowering the amount of moisture available. With soil contracting, the pressure on the foundation as well as the location of the foundation can shift. This shift no matter how large or small should not occur so if this occurs under a property it has the potential to significantly impact the properties foundation.

Tree Damage

When looking for properties many people do not look at the proximity of trees and if they do they see it only as a decoration piece. Trees on a property can increase the value as well as the look of a property. However, the proximity of trees to any property can help contribute to subsidence inadvertently.

The root structure of trees means that the roots grow in the surrounding area from the base of the tree. These roots if near to your properties foundation could be damaging. Any damage or wear to a foundation increases the chance of subsidence in the property. This is due to the fact weakened foundations are not able to hold the weight and force of the property above them. Resulting in shifting foundations.

Don’t think I am attempting to scare you off buying a property with a tree on it, I’m not. I am instead attempting to ensure that you get a professional to assess the risk of damage to foundation and structures within proximity to the tree.

Poor Construction

Just like many latent defects poor construction of the property causes negative effects in the long run. Poor workmanship on all factors of the house such as quality of materials, structural design, lack of support and overall structural stability can contribute to subsidence.

Poor construction is not solely attributed to the actual contractors for the construction. Inferior quality materials are a major factor in poor construction. These materials are usually provided to many contractors so they are unaware of the exact quality of the materials. Low-quality materials such as weak concrete, rotten wood, and weak mortar all reduce the stability of the home. The change in structual stability just like all the other causes leads to weakened structures. Weakened structures are always more susceptible to subsidence.

Effects of Subsidence

Subsidence has a variety of effects on a structure from small issues such as ripple of wallpaper to extremes such as cracked windows.

Issues such as cracks in both interiors and exterior walls can occur as well as in ceilings.… Read the rest

The Independent Contractors Network (ICN) is a collection of fully trained experienced fire restoration specialists. However, ICN do not just deal with fire restoration. ICN has experience in a range of events from theft damage, flood, impact and storm damage.

Management

They manage the reinstatement process of your property. The Independent Contractors Network is connected to all areas of the UK. This enables them to potentially be at any property in the UK within 4 hours.

The Independent Contractors Network offer free repair quotes on your property. This may be useful if your insurance company

asks you to collect two repair quotes before a claim can be processed. The Independent Contractors network has vast experience with fire damage, water damage, theft damages as well as a range of other areas related to property reinstatement.

Due to ICN’s vast knowledge and experience with repairs they should be your first call for fire restoration, flood restoration or any other property restoration you require. ICN can assess a damaged property accurately and reliable to ensure you receive your full claim.

Free Repair Quotes

ICN offers Free Repair quotes during the insurance claims process. The experience of each of their contractors allows them to craft an accurate quote quickly. These free estimates can be provided potentially within 8 hours of first inspection.

Repair quotes include all the elements of your property that will need repairs. This full list of items is then costed giving both individual and overall prices for all elements of restoration.

Realistic repair estimates are provided to ensure that you, the policy holder, receive your full entitlement to reconstruct your damaged property to its original state.

Fire Restoration

They have all the necessary skills and funds to create a full reinstatement schedule, so you have a clear idea of the scale of the repairs as well as a very accurate estimate of the completion date.

All contractors within ICN are fully insured and reliably supported to ensure that your property restoration process is as smooth and efficient as possible.

ICN also provides a single management base for all areas of the reconstruction. All restoration work including fire restoration is completed professionally and efficiently.

ICN manages contractor validation, completion certificates, insurance compliance, complaint procedures as well as most importantly the reconstruction of the property. All of these features are offered to ensure you, the policy holder, can relax and simply await complete restoration of your property.

Get in Touch Today

Because of their expertise, knowledge and experience in property restoration you can trust the Independent Contractor Network to be professional and efficient. To contact ICNLTD you can call any time 24/7 at 08000 434 999 to speak to a restoration expert. Alternatively you can visit https://www.icnltd.co.uk/ for more information on all their restoration services.… Read the rest

If you own a property and it has suffered from extensive damage and you are insured your insurance company will appoint one of their loss adjusters. Alternatively, dependent on the size of the claim, the policy holder may decide to get a second opinion and hire a loss assessor or even a public loss adjuster.

So, what is the difference between loss adjusters and loss assessors?

What Does a Loss Adjuster Do?

Loss adjusters are generally appointed by insurers to manage the claim on their behalf through the perspective of the company. First of all, a loss adjuster must visit your property to establish the cause of the damage. Most large property damage claims are caused by either a fire, flood or substantial water leak.

The loss adjuster will then decide if the damage is covered by the insurance policy. Within any insurance policy there can be many clauses. Whenever you take out an insurance policy it is recommended to read through the small print to establish exactly what you are or are not covered for. Loss adjuster will also report back to the insurer to let them know if they feel it is a legitimate or fraudulent claim.

Within the terms of your insurance policy, the loss adjuster will then start to make recommendations to your insurer regarding their liabilities. If you have a dispute, it is up to you to prove to the insurer that you are entitled to a larger settlement than what the loss adjuster recommends.

Many people feel that loss adjusters are working in the best interest of the insurer, rather than the policy holder. In this scenario may property owners will then turn to either a loss assessor or a public loss adjuster. By doing this they are reassured by the fact that they have someone who is working on their behalf putting their need first.

What does a Loss Assessor or Public Loss Adjusters Do?

Appointed by the policy holder, a loss assessor will give an alternative view of the claim from an independent point of view. When it comes to the policy terms and conditions a loss assessor will be an expert in negotiating with the insurer.

Many insurers will have fixed book prices for certain aspects of the claim. In some cases, this may not be enough to cover any repairs an acceptable standard. Loss assessors have the experience to evaluate the loss to a realistic and manageable amount.

By dealing with insurance companies on a daily basis, they will know inside and out how a claims department works. Unlike a loss adjuster who works on behalf of the insurer, loss assessors will manage the whole process acting entirely on behalf of the policy holder.

Loss assessors are not there to help you receive more than you are fully entitled to. They are there to ensure that you receive as much as they can within the rules of your insurance policy. In many cases loss assessors can put pressure on your insurer to settle the claims more quickly or even negotiate interim payments whilst the claim is being settled.

Do I Just Allow My Insurer to Manage the Claim?

Well that is entirely up to your preference. Although you should know that you do have the right for your claim to be assessed independently. There is nothing wrong with obtaining a second opinion from somebody who is independent and not connected to your insurance company in any way.

Once appointed, a loss assessor or public loss adjuster can manage all dealings and negotiations with your insurance company. By doing this, there are no awkward moments to deal with between yourself and your insurer.… Read the rest

If you are after a great sim only deal and already have a handset. we have broken down all the best sim only deals for you. These fantastic sim only plans give you the variation to choose what sim you want from data, calls and texts all for a small monthly fee. Yibyab have a great selection of the best sim only deals and also advertise some of the best iPad deals from a wide range of network providers too.

Most Sim only deals work out much cheaper and by comparing all the offers on today’s market you’re sure to find the right sim only deal for you? If you plan to use your phone mainly for accessing the internet then there are a wide range of plans to choose from. They even offer sim card deals with unlimited data, but if that is not your thing then there are sim only plans with monthly allowances from 250mb per month.

Most sim only contracts come with unlimited texts and there is a wide variety of 1 month and 12 month plans. Also, you can also find out which networks currently have money saving special offers or even free extras like free premium subscriptions to Netflix or Spotify.

The Cheapest Sim Only Deals All in One Place

One of the great things is that the YibYab website will offer sim only deals that are cheaper than going to the mobile network provider direct. Some of the best sim only deals are not always advertised directly by Three, Vodafone, EE or O2 but we will show you where to find them.

Why spend over your budget each month when you can have a low cost three sim only deal to suit your pocket. If you are planning on travelling to a European country you don’t want to come home to a hefty bill so we have included many sim only deals that you can use across Europe and beyond.

If you’re looking for a sim only deal for your child a sim only plan will be perfect with the freedom to cap you can have complete control over how much data they use or calls that that may make. You will even find that there is a freedom option to add more data on if they run out. All you have to do is to log on to your account and add it on for a small charge.… Read the rest